The Wind Cannot Defeat the Sun: Life Volume

Author: Xiang Qixin, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Spring, summer, autumn, and winter repeat in nature, forming the four seasons. Yet, a human life consists of only three days—yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We have only one right to live in this world, and we all long to break free from confusion and misunderstanding, to understand the meaning of life, and to clarify the purpose of our existence. This book contains profound philosophical reflections and sincere summaries of one's life journey. These heartfelt essays will deepen your understanding of life, enlighten you to its essence, and elevate your perspective. Reading that delights the soul has become a new trend in the study lives of modern students. Amidst busy studies, reciting these sincere articles filled with the purest goodness and beauty is like drinking clear, sweet spring water that nourishes our hearts and enriches our lives. Read with heart and reflect with mind—some articles will inspire you with wisdom, some will move you to tears, some will bring you a sense of sorrow, and some will make you smile with understanding. Like a gentle breeze, they create a pleasant and sweet mood. Reading that comforts the soul will leave a lasting fragrance in our memories. Reading this series of books will bring you unprecedented joy.
My Four Seasons
Zhang Jie
Life is like the four seasons. In spring, I stand on this land with my slender arms, gripping my rusty plow tightly. The roots and stones buried in the soil trip my plow, exhausting me twice over. Sweat pours down my back, my limbs tremble, and I long to lie down on this newly tilled earth. But I know I have no right to escape. Life has given me both existence and responsibility. I don’t need to ask why or wonder if there will be a result. I should not waste time endlessly lamenting life’s hardships or wallowing in self-pity about my misfortune, especially not this barren land. What I must do is grit my teeth, shut my mind, and use every ounce of my strength to push my plow forward. I never hope for someone to replace me, because in this world, each person has a piece of land that must be tilled by their own hands. With hope, I sow—hope no less humble than that of any wise person. Every day, I gaze at the land covering my seeds, imagining them sprouting, growing, blooming, and bearing fruit. Like a mother expecting her child, I wait. I know that if one can hope, one can strive.
In summer, I once stood at the field’s edge, eagerly waiting for the wind from the south to bring clouds laden with rain. How I longed, how I yearned! I waited and waited, until the wind finally came—but it was too strong, carrying the rain-laden clouds away to another land. I hated myself, wishing I could leap into the sky and grab that cloud, begging for just a drop of rain. Such foolish dreams! I finally realized that such wishes were like trying to pull myself free from the earth by my own hair. So I stopped dreaming and sought water on the land where I lived. Without proper preparation, I set off in haste. The hardships I endured need not be detailed here. What matters is that when I found a source of water, I discovered I had no container to hold it. How many times had I made such avoidable mistakes—all because of a mind too simple and too heated! Truly, it was not that I couldn’t do it, but what truly pained me was this: it was not that I couldn’t do it. I stamped my feet, I regretted, I cried, wishing I could tear myself apart. What was the use? Let’s start over. Such a simple lesson cost me twice the effort to learn. I should not blame fate. There will be time to reflect on myself! I watched helplessly as ruthless hail flattened my immature grains, swaying weakly on their stalks, unable to break free from the earth that nurtured yet trapped them, never tasting the sweetness of maturity before dying young. I once spread my arms wide, willing to turn my flesh and blood into a great curtain to shield my young sprouts from wind, rain, and hail. Kindness in excess turns into foolishness. Misfortune can only eliminate the weak—even if they survive one disaster, they will sink in another. But the strong will endure and continue their journey.
In autumn, I harvested like everyone else. Looking at my shriveled grains, my heart swelled with a bittersweet joy. Yet, I did not despair because my grains were less plump than others’. I held them in my hands, pressing them close to my chest, as if they were a new self born within me. My kind and wealthy neighbor sighed at my meager harvest, but I laughed wildly, as if mad. In that laughter, I knew I had matured. I had a special measure—one that measured feelings, not grains. My neighbor did not realize that along with the harvest, I had also gained life. I had loved, hated, laughed, cried, felt, and understood. Upon reflection, I realized that sunny days outnumbered rainy ones, and harvests outnumbered toil. As long as I lived earnestly and gave my all without regret, no one had the right to mock me as a foolish spendthrift or to judge whether my life was worthwhile or not with their own standards.
By winter, the twilight of life—was there nothing left to do? Just watching the falling snow through the window, the desolate fields, or counting the crows on bare branches? No, I could add more wood to the stove to warm the room. I would calmly reflect on myself: Why did I fail? What mistakes did I make? What did I owe others? But if others owed me instead, those final days would bring much more peace! No more chance to correct past errors. A life cannot have a second set of seasons. The future seasons will belong to a new life. Yet, I still have things to do—I will record everything. When people are bored, they can read it to pass the time. Those who resent me can mock and say, "Deserved it!" The wise may call it unnecessary, and the cruel may sharpen their swords to cut me into pieces. But I believe most will understand. They will judge my past actions justly. In the twilight of life, it will not be me who laments or feels lonely!